Land-Locked Maroned Cars in southeast Mass

[bostontrainguy]

Checking out the South Coast Rail plan and following an abandoned right of way to Fall River, I found what appears to be marooned cars at a plant of some sort north of Fall River. Does anyone know the story of this?

http://www.bing.com/maps/#Y3A9NDguMDAxN ... IwbWFzcw==" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Can't seem to get the link to work. It looks like it's in North Dighton.

[The EGE]

I believe you're referring to these?

[bostontrainguy]

Yes

[bunky]

Those cars were probably brought in just before the line closed to be used for storage. The view from google maps shows the tractor trailer with the green cab off loading into one of the cars. If you look further up the line into Taunton at Ingell St. you will see a cut of covered hoppers on a team track. When I use to work in Taunton those cars would be trans loaded into a tractor trailer. I would guess this is where the product from the cars at Ingell St. goes. I don't know when Conrail abandoned this line, might this have been the last active customer and this how they continue to receive service.

[GP40MC1118]

Those were the last cars delivered to Princess House. For reasons unknown, they were
never retrieved by Conrail. This is the former line from Weir Jct to Somerset Jct.
I believe the line closed around 82-84, the same time the Watuppa Branch got truncated
to the Narrows (due to the trestle conditions in Fall River).

D

[Tom Lapointe]

Those covered hoppers are visible from RT. 138; if you're traveling southbound out of Taunton, look to the left after passing the junction of RT. 138 & Old Somerset Ave. They're right on what would have been the "mainline" of the old Dighton & Somerset branch. Although I don't think that line's seen a train in at least 40 years, there's still quite a bit of track "abandoned-in-place", including over a tidal dam right next to RT.138 further south (the end-of-track is just south of there). Difficult to see in the summer months, but surprisingly visible late fall / early spring when the foiliage is gone and / or winter snows have melted.

Tom

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Somerset Branch is MassDOT-owned and landbanked up to this mansion driveway on MA 138 in Dighton about 750 ft. south of the former Muddy Cove Ln. grade crossing. There's still a sturdy stone arch bridge over Muddy Cove Brook, faded old crossbucks on Main St., intact track up to the ex- Somerset Ave. grade crossing, and an intact-w/rails bridge over the Taunton River causeway...all of it 3 miles south of the plant where the abandoned cars are. There must've been at least 1 more customer relatively late in the branch's life further south of the plant.

[SOCO11]

That was some sort of manufacturing plant. I think it is more of a warehouse now. You can drive in the parking lot as it is shared by several businesses. Leaving those hoppers may have been deliberate. You can see that they are permanently connected by piping to the building. It appears they were used for storage. As others have noted a lot of the ROW is intact. There is a neighborhood at the end of the line before it crossed the Taunton river but there is an open trail to the abutment of the bridge.

[GP40MC1118]

The last customer south of Princess House (Where the covered hoppers are) was some sort of chemical/manufacturing plant on Main St Dighton. The spur
crossed RT 138 to the plant. You can see the ruins of it if you follow F-Line's Google Maps link in a previous post.

I had the privilege of seeing a slide of the PC or CR heading up to the plant this summer.

D

[GP40MC1118]

Forgot to mention he had another slide of a an ex-NH U25B on the causeway along RT138!

D

[kwh72]

I'd love to see that slide of the U25B crossing rt138! this line has always fascinated me especially the spur to the plant in North Dighton.

Keith

[GP40MC1118]

Well its not mine and have no way to scan them if I got to borrow them!

That spur was called the Mt. Hope Branch, which serviced the Mt. Hope Finishing Company.
Supposedly abandoned in 1951, but I think it might have gone on a little longer. The thing
is largely still intact!

D

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Topo maps show the spur until 1973, then show abandoned traces of it through 1979 while the branch remains. The switch was just past the Muddy Cove Ln. grade crossing, then crossed 138 diagonally across the Muddy Cove Ln. intersection. Looks like after the Mallard Point movable bridge was abandoned in 1937 severing the branch from its thru connection to Fall River, the new end-of-track (and now current end of MassDOT ownership) became about 6-10 car lengths past the spur switch...and that was the maximum number of loads they were able to take in and out of the plant in one movement.


Signs on Main St. say the demolished parcel is owned by Zeneca. Probably reeeeeeeeeaaaally thoroughly polluted if there's been zero attempts to redevelop it as downtown infill.

[kwh72]

This branch always piqued my interest as it looked like it was largely intact and wondered my the entire Dighton Branch remained intact with rails. At least until about 10 years ago when they ripped up the rail and bridges in Weir, Unfortunately being in Ohio now I Don't have time when I'm back to poke around as much.

Keith

[WHBranch]

As I understand it, the train that carried passengers from the Fall River Line boats to Boston used this line. Originated in Fall River, crossed the Taunton River, then went up to Taunton on the west bank, again crossed the river and went up the Weir Branch, bypassing the city and going through the Hockamock to Easton, then from Stoughton to Randolph, crossing what is now Rte. 24. This must have been a very well maintained piece of railroad (and fast) to handle this premium train. Part of the route is being considered for the Southcoast Commuter Rail now, if that ever happens.

Henry B.